If you have been watching the television or listening to the radio recently, you would have heard about the traffic-ticket amnesty currently in progress. This amnesty which will expire on the 31st of December 2012, applies to offenders with unpaid traffic tickets that were issued before September 21, 2010. It allows them to incur no additional fees or penalties on these tickets, once they are paid in full before the deadline.

Although the amnesty was implemented by the government in July of this year, it seems persons have waited until now to actually make use of it, and now many persons are begging for an extension.

However, the Minister of National Security Hon. Peter Bunting says there will be no extension to the traffic ticket amnesty.

“We will not be extending the amnesty, and, in fact, for the last two months or so we have increased our media advertising, alerting motorists that December 31 would see the end of the amnesty” the Minister said.

Do you believe this is the right move by the government, or do you think there should be an extension of the traffic-ticket amnesty? Go ahead and have your say…

The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.
The Gleaner reserves the right not to publish comments that may be deemed libelous, derogatory or indecent.
To respond to The Gleaner please use the feedback form.

11 Responses to “Should there be an extension of the traffic-ticket amnesty?”

WHILE I HAVE NEVER HAD A TICKET MYSELF, i HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN FACING THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY. a LOT OF THOSE OUTSTANDING TICKETS BELONG TO PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR JOBS AND HAVE NOT YET FOUND GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT. THESES PERSONS QUITE LIKELY ARE UNABLE TO PAY BILLS RIGHT NOW.

WHILE THE GOVERNMENT HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT PAYMENT IT IS UNREALISTIC TO SAY THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSIONS. IMPRISONING THE OFFENDERS WILL BE AN EXPENSE TO TAX PAYERS, USE UP LIMITED RESOURCES AND STILL LEAVE OUTSTANDING TICKETS OF WHOPPING AMOUNTS UNCOLLECTED; AND REVENUE THE COUNTRY NEEDS OUTSTANDING.

RATHER THAN RAINING BRIMSTONE AND FIRE AND TALKING UP A STORM WHAT THE MINISTER NEEDS TO DO IS ALLOW TIME FOR THE TICKETS TO BE REPAID. ALLOW THE OFFICERS TO DO INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS TO ASCERTAIN WHO CAN PAY IMMEDIATELY VERSUS THOSE WHO REALLY NEED TIME.THAT WAY THE VERY ASTUTE MINISTER WILL ALLOW FOR POLICE RESOURCES TO BE MORE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED MAINTAINING ORDER IN OUR COUNTRY, AND INLAND REVENUE WILL COLLECT SOME MONEY WHILE HARD UP CITIZENS REALISE THAT THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THEIR PLIGHT.

LETS FACE FACTS ITS NOT LIKE THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN BUSILY REPLACING THE HUNDREDS OF JOBS LOST EVERY YEAR TO ENSURE THAT THE PEOPLE OF JAMAICA AT LEAST BREAKS EVEN. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE MINISTER HAD TO CONSIDER HOW HE WAS GOING TO PAY A UTILITY, HOW MUCH FOOD HE CAN AFFORD TO BUY,PURCHASE NEEDED ITEMS FOR HIS CHILD, GET MEDICAL ATTENTION ETC. THOSE PEOPLE WITH OUTSTANDING TICKETS FEES OUTSTANDING, A GREAT NUMBER OF THEM HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT EVERYDAY.

No way I say. I am tired of fellow jamaicans talking about what govt musy do and the simple act of paying their share of taxes is ignored.
Ho can we deman seervices when we are not willing to pay for it.
Secondly,we need to get those monster drivers off the road and one wayt o do this is to fine and suspend them from driving

Never thought it applied to me as all tickets that I ever received had been dealt with either through the courts or tax office. I was therefore of the view that his amnesty applied only to delinquent persons who refused or neglected to pay and who therefore have outstanding unpaid tickets

I was surprised and very disturbed when my sister did an arbitrary check and informed me that her checks showed that I have an outstanding ticket from 2007 and owing $10,000 for an offence that was settled and paid for at the traffic court. Since then, I am finding out that many persons are experiencing the same thing. It seems therefore, that we will be required to join these long lines for hours and will need to pay the fine again. It feels like robbery and is highly inconvenient. Furthermore, in 2012, when the tax office is supposed to accommodate online payment, we are told that this facility is unavailable.

We are therefore at the mercy of these incompetents and suffer because of their disabilities. Who keeps receipts for paid driving tickets? Efforts to prove innocence or to recover this double tax will frustrate and allow the system to get away with this. For me, it smells bad and leaves a verry bitter taste.

Driving is a privilage and not a right. We have many tax dodgers and fine dodgers and they must be held accountable. All the excuses being made by those who don’t even have a license on behalf of these ‘fine dodgers’ fail to see that the majority of these people have tickets going WAY back; they simply ignore the fines and have racked up more tickets on top of many others. Time fi pay up!

The gall of those who call the enforcement a form of corruption. Corruption is fueled by corrupt citizens as well as politicians. Being a citizen of this Island nation Mi Want Mi Money whey owe to me so roads can be maintained. Onu miss the purpose for collecting what’s due.

Everyone should pay up taxes, including
public officials and their friends instead
of trying to bribe police, I think all those in the under the table biz, regardless whats your name should get time. If the top of the
stream dirty the bottom wont be clean.